A Looooooooooong Day Lost

Jayson Werth watches his two-run homer leave the park in the bottom of the ninth inning. His clutch two-out blast tied the game and sent it into extra innings, but the Phillies still lost. RON CORTES / Inquirer Staff Photographer

Todd Zolecki

"It was a long day and it didn't end well," manager Charlie Manuel said.

"It was kind of like a day-night doubleheader," Jayson Werth said. "It was a tough loss, being out there as long as we were."

Manuel acknowledged afterward that he is concerned about his team's hitting. The Phillies have lost 13 of their last 20 games, a stretch in which they have averaged just 3.75 runs per game. That shouldn't happen to an offense that includes Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell. A week or two is one thing, but the Phillies' offensive struggles have lasted three weeks. The sooner the better, obviously, because the Phillies' NL East rivals are just begging to be buried in the standings.

Tom Gordon has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with elbow soreness. He missed more than a week last month because of shoulder soreness, so everything seems out of whack. But it sounds like Gordon's health issues have no bearing on Myers' future in the rotation. Pat Gillick and Ruben Amaro Jr. made it perfectly clear they expect Myers, who pitches tonight for triple-A Lehigh Valley, to return to the rotation this season.

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In the Phillies Notebook, Chase Utley and Lidge make the all-star team, while Pat Burrell is looking for help from Phillies fans.

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